2017 Presidential Executive Orders and Memos

All United States presidents since George Washington have issued executive orders to help manage their major policy initiatives within the various agencies of the federal or state government. Like both statutes and regulations of the legislative body, executive orders are subject to judicial review and in some instances, may be struck down if the courts find the executive order unconstitutional.

The United States Justice Department on Tuesday ordered an end to the Obama era program that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Congress will have to act to pass a replacement for DACA before it begins to be phased out in six months. As early as March 2018, some of the 800,000 young adults brought to the United States illegally as children who qualify for the program will become eligible for deportation. The current five-year-old “DREAMERS” Act policy allows them to remain without fear of immediate removal from the country, and gives them the right to work legally.

4/24/2018: Federal District Court for the District of Columbia said that the administration’s decision to terminate the program protections was unlawful and must stay in place, and that the government must resume accepting new applications.

1/9/2018 Status Update: Federal judge in California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the administrations plans not to renew work permits for most of DACA immigrants. Injunction restores DACA to status before the administration announced the decision to terminate the program. Judge ruled the protections must remain in place for immigrants already in program while a legal challenge to end the program proceeds.

9/6/2017 Status Update: Attorney General of New York and others, have filed suit in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, claiming that the administration improperly failed to follow the right process, under the Administrative Procedure Act, for shutting down Mr. Obama’s program.

Executive Order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States – Effective Date: 1/27/17 – (New Revised Order Issued 3/15/17)

Original order: The executive order is focused on immigration and contains three major components. 1) It indefinitely bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States, 2) It suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days, and 3) It blocks citizens (regardless of whether they are refugees) from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. The order does not affect naturalized United States citizens or green card holders coming from the 6 countries.

9/24/2017 Status Update: The administration announced new restrictions on travel to the United States on September 24th, 2017., which includes new rules broadening of the number of countries to be affected by the travel ban to include citizens of Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen — and some from Venezuela, which will go into effect on October 18. The new ban suspends all immigrant visas for nationals of Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, and non-immigrant visas, such as for business and tourism, for nationals of Libya, North Korea, Syria and Yemen. With the new ban, citizens of Iran will not be eligible for tourism and business visas, but remain eligible for student and cultural exchange visas if they undergo scrutiny.

9/8/2017 Status Update: Federal Appeals Court for the Ninth Circuit in Seattle reopened the door to thousands of refugees who had been temporarily blocked by President Trump’s travel ban, and also upheld a lower court decision that had exempted grandparents and other relatives from the ban. The ruling clarified for now, who was covered by the ban. In June, the Supreme Court allowed parts of President Trump’s executive order temporarily barring all travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries, and all refugees, to take effect while the court considered arguments over whether such a ban was constitutional. The court said the government should let in travelers and refugees with a “bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States,” without fully defining what that meant. Now extended members including a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin is considered “bona fide relationship” with this ruling.

7/13/2017 Status Update: Federal District Court judge in Hawaii ruled that the administration’s temporary ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries should not prevent grandparents and other close relatives of residents from entering the United States. The Judge also declared that refugees with ties to a resettlement agencies that was committed to receiving them, had a relationship that made them eligible to enter the country.

6/26/2017 Status Update: Supreme Court partially restores the executive order ban and justices decided to hear the governments case in October 2017. In the meantime, Visas that have already been approved will not be revoked. New applications from these countries must prove a “bona fide relationship”, which includes a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sibling/step sibling, individuals engaged to be married, or a business entity in the United States. This “bona fide relationship” also applies to the refugees from all nations that are waiting for approval for admission to the United States.

5/25/17 Status Update: Federal Appeals Court left in place the freeze on the administration’s entry ban to block the issuance of new visas to citizens of the 6 Muslim-majority countries.

3/15/17 Status Update: Federal judge in Hawaii block the major provisions of revised ban on refugee resettlement and travel from six predominately Muslim countries. The decision strikes down the administration’s attempt to pause all refugee resettlement for 120 days and blocks citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States. Courts in Maryland and Washington also heard arguments against the order.

2/9/17 Status Update: Original executive order from 1/27/17 struck down by United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States – Effective Date: 1/25/17

The executive order directs federal agencies to take away federal funding from any city or jurisdiction that refuses to comply with a statute that requires local governments to share information with immigration authorities. There is an exception in the order for aid that goes to police.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy has released a toolkit developed by his office, several Connecticut state agencies, and relevant stakeholders to provide a user-friendly, step-by-step guide for parents who want to have a plan in place for a friend of family member to care for their children in the event that they are detained or deported. The Family Preparedness Plan, available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Polish, and Portuguese includes information on steps people can take on their own, without the help of an attorney, to develop a child care plan, and includes important forms and documents that families can fill out and store in a safe place where they can be accessed if needed. The plan also includes information on where to find immigration legal assistance, and guidance on how to avoid immigration scams.

The executive order directs federal agencies to scale back regulations, taxes and penalties under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The executive order does not repeal or replace the ACA at this time and there is still a requirement that individuals have health coverage.

Individuals can call their Federal Representative or Senator and ask to speak with a Congressional staffer to get more information about any recent Congressional or Presidential actions, or individuals can go in person to the Congress person’s office to speak with a staffer. Contact information for Representatives and Senators is listed here: http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&q=515402

To find the contact information for the Connecticut Representatives and Senators phone numbers based on residency, visit the website link at:www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp – from the drop down menus: first Select Town, then Street Name, then type in a Street Number and choose ‘Find’ to see results.

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Central Intake/Assessment for Substance Use Disorder

Substance Use Disorder Programs that serve as an intake for agencies which evaluate individuals who are in need of substance use services and are directed to the number of subsidized beds that may be available in the community. Some programs may also offer medical detoxification services for people who need them.